Switching off nerve cells eases asthma attacks
Inhaled anesthetic calmed coughing and inflammation in mice
By Meghan Rosen
To stop an asthma attack, just numb some nerve cells.
Dulling nerve cells in mice’s lungs soothes irritated airways by easing inflammation and out-of-control coughing, researchers report online June 25 in Neuron.
“It’s a game changer,” says asthma researcher Christopher Evans of the University of Colorado Denver. He thinks targeting nerve cells could be a feasible therapeutic approach for asthma in humans.
In people with asthma, just a speck of pollen or a dust mite can trigger bouts of wheezing. Researchers thought that response was primarily an immune problem, Evans says. Usually, the immune system acts as a cellular bodyguard; it uses powerful weapons to fight dangerous bacteria and viruses. But sometimes the bodyguard pulls out the big guns too soon. In asthma and other allergic diseases, the immune system overreacts to minor threats — kind of like killing a mosquito with a bazooka. The resulting damage can include inflamed, mucus-clogged airways that make breathing difficult.